Chapter 26.5 - Cookies

Author's Note:

Hey guys. Hope you're all doing well.

Sorry for the long absence. I can't say much except that I had to change my sleep schedule and daily routine cause of some stuff that happened.

Anyway, here's some slice of life that you've been wanting. I'll release the next chapter later. Also, the restriction has been removed, so you guys can now donate your power stones. Thank god.

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3rd Person POV:

"Mama, mama. Do you think Jason-san will like the food?" Ruby asked as she carried a bento box in her arms.

As thanks for what Jason had done for them and for saving their mother's life, Ruby and her mother came up with the idea of giving Jason home-made cookies. Their first batch of cookies ended up being great, so they chose to pack them immediately.

Ai looked down at her and smiled reassuringly. "Of course he will. I tasted the cookies we made myself, and they're delicious!"

Ruby still had a doubtful expression. Turning towards her brother, she gave him a questioning look.

Aqua sighed. "There's no need to worry. They're actually pretty good for your first time. I'm just glad you didn't end up burning them."

A smile lit up Ruby's face. "Well, I wanted to make sure the cookies we gave Jason-san would taste good, so I did my best!"

"And you did a great job." Ai nodded. "Do you want to give it to him now?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

Ai, Ruby, and Aqua leisurely made their way to Jason's condo. Ruby could hardly contain her excitement, while Aqua's face remained expressionless.

They reached his door seconds later, as his condo was on the same floor and wasn't too far from theirs.

Ai and Aqua looked at Ruby and nodded towards the door. After taking a deep breath, Ruby stood on her toes and reached up, ringing the doorbell. A moment after, they heard a strange whooshing noise and the sound of shuffling, then the sound of footsteps audibly getting close followed.

The three of them quietly wondered what the strange noise was as the door opened. Jason wore grey sweatpants and a white compression shirt that revealed his well-built physique.

Ai's eye twitched, and she kept a conscious effort to make sure her eyes didn't stray downwards. She knew Jason was a fit person, but she didn't expect him to have the physique of a Greek statue.

Jason leaned on the doorframe with crossed arms and smiled. "Well, if it isn't the Hoshino family. What brought you guys to my humble abode?"

"Good afternoon, Jason." Ai returned the smile. "We're just here to give you something in return for helping us." She looked at Ruby and gestured with her head. "Come on, don't be shy."

Ruby raised the bento box towards Jason. "Um, I hope you like cookies!" she said nervously.

"Oh, wow. Thank you." Jason gingerly picked up the bento box and opened it, revealing six large chocolate chip cookies. "They smell and look absolutely delicious. Did you make these yourselves?"

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded excitedly before pouting and glaring at Aqua. "But brother wouldn't join us in making it."

Aqua shrugged. "I wouldn't have helped much."

"Hey, hey. No need to glare at your brother. You did a good job making these," Jason said. "Here, I'll try one."

As Jason raised the cookie to his mouth, Ruby shuffled her feet nervously.

Even Ai found herself to be nervous about what Jason's opinion of the cookies would be. Her heart slightly pounded in her chest, and she held her hands together behind her to keep them from fidgeting.

Under Ruby's and Ai's nervous stares, Jason bit half of the cookie, slowly chewing and savoring the sweet taste. In his opinion, it was pretty good for what seemed to be a first time attempt at making them. It was slightly overcooked, but everything else was great.

"These are fantastic." Jason said as he chewed.

Ruby cheered while Ai held a hand to her chest and sighed in relief.

'Wait, why was I so nervous?' Ai thought to herself.

Jason tossed the other half into his mouth. "I'd eat these every day if I could. Thanks again for the cookies."

"It's no problem. This is small compared to saving my life and taking care of my children," Ai replied, smiling while patting the heads of her children.

"I won't complain if this is how you repay me. I could eat ten more of these." Jason shrugged and ate another cookie. "How is the preparation for your Tokyo Dome concert coming along?"

"Oh, right!"

Ai straightened, opening her bag and pulled out a ticket before handing it to Jason.

"Hm, what's this? A VIP pass?"

"It was the president and Miyako-san's idea. With this, you won't have to wait in line and you get to see the concert right in front of the stage or from the balcony," Ai said as she nervously twiddled her thumbs behind her. "Um… You *will* go, right? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want —"

"I won't miss it." Jason interrupted her with a charming grin.

Seeing their interaction, Aqua's eyes shifted between the two of them with suspicion, while Ruby shook him back and forth with excitement.

Ai's cheeks turned pink, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes shifting away from Jason. "R-right! Um, we'll be on our way now. Thankyouforyourtime!" she blurted.

Ai quickly turned and walked back to their apartment, taking Aqua and Ruby with her.

"Wha — Mama wait! Mama!"

Seeing all this, Jason chuckled. He closed the door and went back to training.

The cookies were a really good break snack.